Brief and sample case



Feb. 20, 1934. H ADIE Er AL 1,947,718

BRIEF AND SAMPLE CASE Filed Jan. 18, 1933 ITIIIPRWS 1493/ X7 [0100? jar oizfirfl ers 1/1 nil/[11401711111114 Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRIEF AND SAMPLE CASE Application January 18, 1933. Serial No. 652,318

6 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a brief and sample case, and more particularly to an improved means for securing the closure to the bag so as to support the weight of the bag and its contents from the closure.

This invention relates to a bag of the type having permanently assembled bottom, front, rear and end walls, and a closure which forms a flexible extension of the rear wall and is adapted to be folded over the tops of the end walls and detachably secured to the front wall. The bag is carried by means of a handle secured centrally to the closure. In order to assist in transmitting the weight of the bag and its contents to the closure, or to the carrying handle thereon, and thus relieve the front locking means of the greater portion of this load, fastening means are provided between the upper portions of the end walls of the bag and those portions of the flexible closure which fold thereover. According to the present invention, these fasteners are in the form of hooks and mating projections which automatically move into and out of engagement with one another as the closure is moved to or from closed position. This provides a simple and sturdy fastening means, which is not easily broken off, and which requires practically no attention.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved brief bag or sample case of the type briefly described hereinabove, and disclosed more in detail in the specifications which follow.

Another object is to provide an improved form of fastening and load-supporting means for a bag of this type.

Another object is to provide such a fastening means which will automatically becom engaged and disengaged as the bag closure is moved to or from closed position.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description of certain approved forms of mechanism constructed and operating according to the principles of this invention.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved bag.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the bag, when closed.

Fig. 3 is an end view similar to Fig. 2, showing the closure partly opened in solid lines, and more completely opened in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section, taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a partial end elevation showing a modification.

The bag is of the type comprising a bottom 1, end walls 2, rear wall 3 and front wall 4, all permanently secured together and reinforced in the usual manner. The walls may be formed of leather or other suitable flexible material, and preferably the ends and bottom are reinforced and stiffened by interposed layers of wood, such as indicated at 5 (Fig. 4). The bag may or may not be provided with interior partitions, and is especially adapted for use as a brief bag for carrying books or documents, or may be used as a sample case for carrying packaged goods.

The top of the bag is open and is adapted to be closed by the flap or closure 6 which is in the form of a flexible extension of the rear wall 3. This closure 6 is folded over the curved upper end portions '7 of the end walls 2, the free end portion 8 of the closure overlapping the upper portion of front wall 4 and being secured thereto by the detachable fastening, indicated generally at 9, which is preferably provided with a lock in the usual manner.

The bag is carried by means of a handle 10 mounted on the top central portion of closure flap 6 when in closed position. This handle 10 50 is anchored to a reinforcing bar 11 which is mounted in the closure 6 and extends longitudinally from one end of the closure to the other. This reinforcing bar 11 may be metal, but is preferably made of hard wood so as to have the requisite strength without unduly increasing the Weight of the bag. Obviously, the weight of the bag and its contents must be transmitted through closure 6 to the handle 10, and in order to relieve the fastening 9 of the greater portion of this load, it is usual to provide fastening and load-supporting members between the ends of the reinforcing bar 11 and the upper portion of end walls 2. Usually this means is in the form of snap fasteners or clasps' which must be moved independently into engagement with one another after the closure 6 is secured in closed position. The present invention relates particularly to the use of an improved and simplified fastener or load-supporting means, the members of which move substantially automatically into and out of engagement with one another, as the flap closure is moved to or from closed position.

In the preferred form, these fasteners comprise hooks 12 which are secured to the flap 6. ,105 As here shown, these hooks are in the form of bracket members having horizontal projections 13 which are anchored to the end portions of reinforcing bar 11 by means of rivets l4. Pins or projections 15 are riveted or otherwise secured 11f at 16 to the upper outer end portions of end walls 2, in position to be engaged within the slots 17 of the hooks 12. With these members engaged as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the weight of the bag and its contents will be transmitted from the end walls 2 through projection 15 to the hooks 12 and thence through the reinforcing bar 11 to the carrying handle 10.

When the bag is to be opened, it is merely nec essary to unlock or unfasten the latch 9 and lift upwardly on the flap 6, as shown in Fig. 3. The hooks 12 will automatically move out of engagement with the projections 15 as the flap 6 1s straightened out and swung upwardly. Conversely, as the closure flap 6 is swung downwardly and folded about the curved upper end portions '7 of the end walls 2, the hooks 12 will move automatically into engagement with the projections 15. When the latch 9 is engaged, the flap 6 is stretched tightly around the upper end portions of walls 2 and the hooks 12 cannot become disengaged from the projections 15.

It will be apparent that these hooks 12 and projections 15 may be made quite strong and rigid so as to provide an adequate support for the load to be carried, while at the same time these parts are comparatively small and do not project materially beyond the end faces of the bag so that there are no outwardly projecting hinged members which are in danger of being broken away, as in the usual type of fastener used at these locations. These f astenings are exceptionally simple, both in construction and operation, substantially no additional movements being rcquired to move these fasteners into and out of engagement other than the movement required for opening or closing the flap 6.

This construction might be reversed by positioning the books 18 on the end walls 2 so as to engage pins or projections 19 carried by bracket plate 20 secured to the closure 6, all as shown in Fig. 5. The brackets 20 might extend behind the hooks 18, as shown, or overlap these hooks with the projections 19 pointing inwardly. The operations of any of these modified forms will be substantially the same as with the preferred form first described.

We claim:

1. A bag having an open top, a closure extending from the bag at one side of the opening and adapted to fold over the opening, means for detachably securing the free end portion of the closure to the bag, and means for securing side portions of the closure to the bag, said means comprising members on the closure and bag respectively which move into and out of locking engagement with one another as the closure is moved to or from closed position.

2. A bag having an open top, a closure extending from the bag at one side of the opening and adapted to fold over the opening, means for detachably securing the free end portion of the closure to the bag, and means for securing side portions of the closure to the bag, said means comprising hooks mounted on the closure and projections mounted on the bag, the hooks moving into and out of engagement with the projections as the closure is moved to or from closed position.

3. A bag having an open top, a flexible closure extending from the bag at one side of the opening and adapted to fold over the opening, means for detachably securing the free end portion of the closure to the bag, and means for securing side portions of the closure to the bag, said means comprising members on the closure and bag respectively which move into and out of locking engagement with one another as the closure is moved to or from closed position.

4. A bag having an opening, a flexible closure hinged to the bag and adapted to be folded over the opening, a detachable fastener for securing the free end of the closure to the bag, and means for securing the intermediate side edge portions of the closure to the bag, said latter means comprising pairs of hooks and cooperating projections which move into and out of engagement with one another as the closure is moved to or from closed position.

5. A bag comprising bottom, front, rear and end walls, the tops of the end walls curving upwardly above the tops of .the front and rear walls, a flexible closure for the open top of the bag, said closure forming an extension of the rear wall and being adapted to be folded forwardly and downwardly over the tops of the end and front walls, detachable means for securing the free end of the closure to the front wall, a handle for carrying the bag secured to the top of the closure, and means for securing the upper portions of the end walls to the portions of the closure which fold thereover when the bag is closed, each of said means comprising a hook and. a projection to be engaged thereby, one of these members being secured to the closure and the other to the end wall a and the members being adapted to move automatically into and out of engagement with one another as the closure is moved to or from closed position.

6. A bag comprising bottom, front, rear and end walls, the tops of the end walls curving upwardly above the tops of the front and rear walls, a flexible closure for the open top of the bag, said closure forming an extension of the rear wall and being adapted to be folded forwardly and downwardly over the tops of the end and front'walls, detachable means for securing the free end of the closure to the front wall, a reinforcing bar extending longitudinally of the central portion of the closure from end to end thereof, a carrying handle mounted on top of the closure and secured to the bar, and means for securing the ends of the bar to the upper portions of the end walls, said means comprising hooks secured to the end portions of the bar, and projections mounted on the end walls, the hooks moving into and out of engagement with the projections as the closure is moved to or from closed position.

HARRY H. LABADIE.

BURTON B. BEERS. 

